Families seeking asylum may have to be relocated

A home-school liaison teacher is appealing to the Department of Justice to allow asylum-seeking families living in Carrick-on-Suir to remain there.

The designation of Bridgewater House in Carrick-on-Suir may be changed as an accommodation centre for asylum-seeking families to one for single men.

Teacher Mary Greene, a Carrick-on-Suir town councillor, said she was concerned that families were being relocated to other centres in Mallow and Galway.

Three girls, two of whom were due to take State exams next year, were "distraught" at the thought of a possible relocation.

They attend Scoil Mhuire, the all-girls Mercy secondary school in the town.

Marijianna Shostak (17) from Ukraine is due to sit her Leaving Cert, while Kenyan Margaret Kimindiri (14) will take the Junior Cert. A third girl, Shahneela Ali (12), also wishes to remain in the Co Tipperary town.

Bridgewater House is in the former Convent of Mercy building on the Main Street. It can accommodate 125 refugees in mainly family groups. It is understood the Reception Integration Agency (RIA) is to make a decision on its accommodation status within the coming week.

RIA officer John Roycroft cited a sharp fall in the number of families seeking asylum and a high rate of male asylum seekers as reasons for the decision.

Sixty per cent of applications for asylum are from single males.

Ms Greene said the families were in limbo. "We have no problem keeping the men here but let's have a mixed situation."